A hot time in the old town tonight!!

93 degrees at 5:00 P.M. with a heat index of 97.

This has got to be a classic line!

I fart. Why?... because it's the only gas I can afford.
— Relatable Quotes ☼ (@SoTrue__Quotes) September 7, 2013

This is amazing. Never saw anything like this!

Picture: Lightning strike leaves long crack in the backyard of a Muskego, WI home this afternoon via @CBS58 pic.twitter.com/EuyKAyn7Zj
— Johnny Kelly (@stormchaser4850) September 7, 2013

A note from Lynne

"It's cool right now but I guess the temp is going to go up and up again.  I prefer this as the windows and doors are open.  Of course, then we have the loud noise of tree frogs and cicadas which is irritating."

Neat photo.

The sun sets over #Wisconsin's beautiful Great #Swamp in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. #nature pic.twitter.com/sDcIrbaYmt
— US Dept of Interior (@Interior) September 4, 2013

I had to turn the air conditioner on again.

The temperature is only 83 but the humidity is making it feel like 93.  It will cool down to around 80 tomorrow but the heat returns Monday and Tuesday with temps getting closer to 90 again.

Got this note from Donnie and I couldn't help but laugh at his frustration.

No household project is ever cheap or easy.

I didn't buy enough sand for the sidewalk, so yesterday noon I called the sand man and ordered more. He promised delivery by 4 p.m. yesterday, so my workers could start early today.  The sand never arrived.

I called the workers to tell them not to come too early. Then I called the sand man to find out about the delivery. 

His truck broke down yesterday, but he'd deliver first thing this a.m. Then my worker called to say he has a truck and would pick up sand himself on the way to our place. Great--I save a delivery charge. 

Ten minutes later he calls back to report his truck, too, is not starting! So I call the sand man back and ask him again to deliver. He reports he as now sent his truck off on another job. 

I sit and wait.

Can't let the day go by without wishing a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gloria Gaynor.

She's 64 today!



Our drought continues.

No chance for rain until Tuesday, and then, it's only a 30% chance.

Maybe the Red Hot Chili Peppers can do it with "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie".

Look what Donnie and Linda are up to.

Donnie said, "We are finally putting in a front sidewalk.  All I can do is wander the house and supervise the work."

A story from the pages of the Manchester Evening News:

Last Wednesday a passenger in a taxi heading for Salford station leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window.

For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the shaking driver said, "Are you OK?"

"I'm so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me."

The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said, "I didn't realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so badly."

The driver replied, "No, no, I'm the one who is sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my very first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for 25 years."

It looks like another hot day for the coulee region. High's this afternoon will be around 90.

Skateboards and India......I think I'll stick with walking.

The color is beginning to show.

Walking to the library, this morning, I saw the first red and gold leaves of the season.  It's just a few branches, here and there, but within a day or two I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of color.

I don't know about you but I can relate to this!

I'm at the point in my life where I need at least 3 weeks notice before doing anything spontaneous.
— swollenvoice (@swollenvoice) September 6, 2013

In 1964 Isaac Asimov made some predictions about what life would be like in 2014. Talk about seeing into the future!!

Lynne will like this.

New capsule - 1963: Elvis Presley filming Viva Las Vegas http://t.co/bj09rwV26d pic.twitter.com/4nsK3jWfPQ
— Retronaut (@theretronaut) September 1, 2013

The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls has a new addition. It's a baby Giraffe!

On this day in history, the first self service grocery store opened in 1916...Yea! 1916!!!

And, guess what?  They called that first self service grocery store PIGGLY WIGGLY!

This would be a fun road to travel on!

Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway pic.twitter.com/fTjztlw2UF
— Planet Earth (@planetepics) September 6, 2013

Aaron Rodgers on Sunday's opener at San Fran: “I expect us to play well” http://t.co/ieGWunUGSJ pic.twitter.com/EL7dd7cFrn
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 4, 2013

The heat is on again.

The thermometer will climb up to around 90 this afternoon.  This latest heat wave stretches from Minneapolis to Kansas City so fire up the a/c and put your shorts on.

For the weekend we're looking at 90 again on Saturday and then a cool down to 80 for Sunday.

Parents Magazine says the best city for a family vacation is San Diego.

I spent a couple of hours at the San Diego airport, many years ago, on my way to Hawaii.  What little I saw from the air looked like a neat town.

Closer to home, Chicago came in at #5 on the list.

Duane says they let Rapid City schools out early, today, as temperatures moved into the 90's.

He gave his outdoor cats extra water and they spent he afternoon in the shade.

We're supposed to get closer to 90 tomorrow.  Perhaps a last blast of summer?

The Wisconsin State Highway Patrol is going to start holding assemblies in schools to talk about the dangers of texting and driving.

They'll be in La Crosse at Logan High School on September 19.  It's a great idea but how do we get to the folks WAY PAST HIGH SCHOOL.  You can spot folks way beyond high school age texting and driving every day of the week.

You'd think they would be old enough to know better but they aren't.  Stupidity covers all age groups.  The worst part is that, maybe, one in one thousand of these texting drivers has anything of importance or urgency to text about.

Today is "BE LATE FOR SOMETHING DAY".

I guess that's a hard one for me to celebrate.  I don't have anything to be late for.  That's my idea of real retirement!

A beautiful film by Michele McGovern.

The GOODWILL donation drive will run September 6, 7 and 8 in La Crosse and Onalaska.

The high in La Crosse today should be around 82. Better enjoy it while we can. These warm days won't last much longer.

A quote from Christian writer Ethel Barrett that is so true!

"We would worry less about what people think of us if  we realized how rarely they do."

A message to the folks in St. Paul/Minneapolis from the National Weather Service:

MT @nwstwincities: Don't look now, but its #snowing just 1000mi to the northeast! Enjoy the warm weather! pic.twitter.com/w9d0R3QhOJ
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 5, 2013

Happy birthday to BOB NEWHART. He's celebrating 82 years today.

Here's a comedy bit with Bob Newhart and Dean Martin that is really funny.

There's a slight chance for rain over the weekend and we sure do need all we can get.

We are, officially, back to drought conditions in the Coulee Region and the National Weather Service says it could last through the whole month of September.  We're four to six inches below normal rainfall for this time of year so we need every drop we can get.

Sounds like Minneapolis might be a good place to do business.

#Minneapolis ranked #7 in @Forbes' list of "Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs": http://t.co/Irne9c9O90 #greatplacetowork
— ESP IT (@ESP_IT_MN) September 4, 2013

I hope Donnie and Linda stay free of the whooping cough that's spreading through Texas like crazy.

As many as 2,000 cases have been diagnosed so far and officials say this could be the worst outbreak in 50 years for the state.

Don't tell me we aren't living in "HARD TIMES".

Two men were arrested for stealing toilet paper from a Chinatown market. http://t.co/3QS8tBOtHw
— RedEye Chicago (@redeyechicago) September 4, 2013

The 110 Anniversary of Harley-Davidson was celebrated in Milwaukee over the Labor Day weekend.

There were more than 6,000 biker fans there to celebrate which made hotel rooms hard to come by.  One motorcycle gang bypassed the hotels, however, and stayed, instead, in a convent with the nuns.

This is a great story.

Just looking at the calendar and we're getting very close to OKTOBERFEST!

Oktoberfest begins September 27.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT ALL THE EVENTS

Almost out of clean clothes and the pantry is empty.  Guess what I'm doing today.

Business must be good in Deadwood.

Reading the paper, this morning, I see the city has increased their budget by more than a million dollars for improvements, around town, in 2014.

Fantastic Northern Lights.

Northern Lights above Finland pic.twitter.com/Lwc8r7D3QJ
— Earth Pics (@ThatsEarth) September 4, 2013

A foggy start and then another great day in La Crosse.

With a mostly sunny sky and a high of 82 this should be a perfect day to get out and enjoy the warm weather.

The clock is ticking and the days are growing shorter.  Days like this are dwindling down to a precious few!

This is the day the Ford Motor Company would rather forget

They started selling the EDSEL on September 4, 1957.

I breezed through my annual physical this morning.

If I was any healthier I'd try out for the Olympics.

There I am!

View Larger Map

Famous Daves BBQ won first prize at the 25th Annual "Nugget Rib Cook-off in Sparks, Nevada over the weekend.

Dave's beat out 23 competitors.  The crowds downed more than 230,000 pounds of ribs!

I think Rita is a fan of Famous Dave's BBQ sauce.

I learned a new word from the FARMERS ALMANAC.

The word is Rupophobia.  Which is the fear of dirt.  That's one phobia I don't have a problem with.

Did you know that 10% to 30% of kids, ages 1 to 6 have an eating disorder called Pica, which is the compulsive craving to eat non-food items like dirt.  It's also common in people suffering from autism or mental retardation.

Charlie Sheen turns 48 today. 48??? No wonder he's such a bad boy. He's just a kid.

Beach Boy Al Jardine is also celebrating a birthday today.  He's 71.  Every year it gets harder to find people older than me.

Al, by the way, is the Beach Boy who sang the lead on "Help me Rhonda".

It's Doctor Day.

Today it's my primary care doctor for the annual physical.  Next week it's my nephrologist or, as I like to call him, my kidney doctor.  I understand Uncle Bob is also seeing him now.

It's fun having another dog to play with.

We have a clear sky this morning.

It's going to be a beautiful day.  Sunny with a high around 75.

Mail from Rita:

My cousin Nancy and Renee, Terrel, Jacob and Cheyenne were here for dinner last night. The boys hung up all our pictures since Renee and Terrel recently painted the living and dining room.

Words to live by!!

“Never memorize something that you can look up” - Albert Einstein.
— Book Quotes (@medaBookMan) September 2, 2013

I woke up, this morning, with this song playing in my head.

Don't ask me why, but there it was; Do Wah Diddy Diddy dum diddy do....over and over and over again.

We're still 20 days away from Autumn.

I had to put the bathrobe on this morning.  There's a bit of a chill coming through the open window.

I think this is, probably, good advice.

Never take life advice from someone who sleeps on a futon.
— lil dick larry (@RatBatallion) September 2, 2013

The chill is on!

Remember how hot we were just a few days ago?  That's only a memory now and how quickly things can change.  The weatherman says we could drop down into the 40's tonight!  We're talking high 40's (47 to 49) but once we get into the 40's can the 30's be far behind?

I got good news from my nephrologist.

The results of my blood work, last week, show that my kidney function remains stable at 47%.  Tomorrow I see my primary care doctor and he'll check the rest of my "working parts" as well as those that "aren't working as well as they used to parts".

The days are getting shorter, nights are getting longer.

We now have 13 hours and 13 minutes of daylight and 14 hours and 36 minutes of darkness.

W. P. Kinsella is a Canadian Author who wrote "Shoeless Joe" which became the movie, "Field of Dreams".

I just read a quote by him that I like.  "Success is getting what you want.  Happiness is wanting what you get."

Las Vegas is out in the middle of the desert.

When you think of humid weather you sure don't think of Las Vegas, do you?  Well, guess what!  They had a whole lot of humidity today!!!

Like it humid? #LasVegas tied its highest dew point on record today at 75 degrees!
— WeatherBug (@WeatherBug) September 1, 2013

A "funny" from Carl

"I've  learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a  piece of cake."

Roger turned me on to the Pink Lady.

The Pink Lady APPLE, that is.

You won't find any Pink Apple trees growing around here.  They, originally, came from Australia, need a very long growing season and do best in hotter climates.  In the United States they're grown in Washington State and California.

We thought Festival was the only store that carried them but I found them at the Co-op this morning so I bought some.  They're really good and I understand they make a great apple pie.

I just read a quote by comedian, actor and writer Steven Wright that I think I'm make my motto.

He said, "Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.  I think I've forgotten this before."

Here's a really GOOD sport.

Thanks to the @packers for the opportunity great organization great team wonderful fans good luck this season.
— Vince Young (@VinceYoung) August 31, 2013

Know someone looking for a job?

#JobSearch Customer Service Representative - Peerless Chain Company - Winona, MN Find this Job & More http://t.co/OjVpsC6IRd
— La Crosse Wisconsin (@LaCrosse_Buzz) September 1, 2013

"Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner." ~ Lao Tzu

Sorry to hear of the sudden death, from a heart attack, of David Frost. He was one of the greatest of the broadcasting world.

Mr. Frost was 74.

I never noticed, until I got into this age group myself, how many people die in their early 70's.  I'm beginning to think I'm walking on thin ice, here!

We've had a few members of the family walk the halls of Luther College so we, probably, should mention todays big anniversary.

Luther College was founded on September 1, 1861.  It was the first college started by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants to the USA and opened its doors, that first day, with 16 students.

Happy Birthday to Barry Gibb. He's 67 today.

On this day in history.....

#OnThisDay in 1952, Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea was published in Life magazine. 5 million copies were sold in 2 days.
— Literary Interest (@InterestingLit) September 1, 2013

I was an old sleepy head this morning!

I didn't wake up until 4:30.  That's rare for me.  I haven't been feeling right up to par the past couple of days so I needed the rest.  Not to worry.  I see the doctor Tuesday morning and I'm sure I'll be feeling fine by then.

This is the annual check-up appointment where they poke and prod every nook and cranny of your body.  I hate these visits but it's one of life's "gotta do it" moments.

There are a few thunderstorms around this morning but most of the day will be partly sunny with a high near 80.

Labor Day is going to be sunny, too, with a high near 70 which will feel, downright, chilly after the weather we've been having.  I think it's safe to say we're not going to need the air conditioner anymore this season!